


love is either in your heart or on its way

by lizalilac



Series: Soft Goro Week 2020 [6]
Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - No Metaverse (Persona 5), Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Aquariums, First Dates, Flirting, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Getting Together, M/M, Mutual Pining, Soft Goro Week 2020, Texting, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings, background MakoHaru, ryujis wallet fucking dies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-17
Updated: 2020-07-17
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:47:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25334878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lizalilac/pseuds/lizalilac
Summary: Soft Goro Week Day 6: Gorb and AUsThe door opened, revealing… holy shit. Ren’s breath hitched as he beheld the single most beautiful man he’s ever seen, boasting light brown hair tied into a ponytail and incredibly vibrant eyes that looked almost crimson. The man’s eyes lit up with recognition, noticing Ren’s suitcase.“Oh, you’re the new roommate?” He asked with that smooth, silky voice. Hooooly shit, is this what love at first sight felt like? He somehow made pyjamas look good, convincing Ren that he has to be some sort of model. Either that or he’s just unfairly pretty.(Or, Ren and Goro are university roommates that slowly but surely begin to pine for each other.)
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren, Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist
Series: Soft Goro Week 2020 [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1827298
Comments: 20
Kudos: 193
Collections: Day 6 - Gorb and AUs, Marigolds Discord Recs





	love is either in your heart or on its way

**Author's Note:**

> heres day 6 !!! an obligatory pre-fic mention that i haven't been to japan or sunshine aquarium and i have no clue how finding a roommate works. all of what you're about to read is based on a lot of research and some japan fact checking by @astralitte !! the title is from the song young at heart - frank sinatra. read the end author's notes for a comedic chat segment !!
> 
> also i spent like 10 minutes trying to figure out what sea nettle jellyfish were called by way of google searches, all because i saw them in a sunshine aquarium vlog and thought the way they swam was incredibly fascinating lol

**PRIVATE CHAT WITH yujiiiii**

** Today (10:56 AM) **

**renren:** did you get settled into your apartment yet ryu

 **yujiiiii:** I wish I didn’t

 **yujiiiii:** My roommate is a disaster

 **renren:** oh no did you get some asshole??

 **yujiiiii:** Not rly but like,,

 **yujiiiii:** He’s very passionate about coding is all I can say

 **yujiiiii:** He talks my ear off about his projects…

 **renren:** LMAO GOOD LUCK

 **renren:** let’s see how lucky I get

 **renren:** im betting that i’ll meet the love of my life

 **yujiiiii:** Fat chance

 **renren:** IF IM RIGHT YOU’RE BUYING ME THAT RED HAWK FIGURINE I WANTED

 **yujiiiii:** Fuck wasn’t that like

 **yujiiiii:** 8000 yen

 **renren:** 8400 yen to be exact

 **yujiiiii:** God I’m sorry bro but I hope you meet some jackass and stay single

 **renren:** fair enough

Ren chuckled at Ryuji’s response to his bet, shoving his phone into his pocket. Well, they’ll find out within the next hour. He looked out the window of the taxi, observing the surrounding area. So this is where he’ll be living for the next few years…

It feels weird, being away from home. For his entire life, he’s been at his home in Inaba, though ever since his second year of high school he’s been living in Tokyo. He’s still not used to it, surprisingly enough. He silently hoped that spending some time in an actual apartment will help him adjust.

The only reason he got a cheap apartment near the university is because some dude seemed practically desperate for a new roommate, putting up a notice online with suspiciously low rent and a description saying that his roommate graduated and moved out, though he decided to take the gamble. Why the fuck not? If he ends up with a creep, he’s gonna have to find something more expensive, but at least he’ll be saving his ass. If he gets a decent person, or maybe even an amazing roommate, then it’ll be a win-win scenario.

He knew basic details about the guy – his name was Goro, he was one year older than Ren, and he texted like an old man. Seriously, he maintained perfect punctuation and grammar throughout their entire interaction. Ren had to wonder, did he actually type like that or was he just putting up an act for a stranger? He had no clue.

Sighing, he told his taxi driver to pull over as soon as he saw the building to be close by. He paid the man and began walking to the right address, observing the exterior. It didn’t seem too bad on the outside, it looked relatively new and modern, and there were even some plants beside the front door that were evidently well taken care of.

Ren pushed the door open and walked over to the elevator, pushing the button to call it down. Glancing back at the note on his phone, he checked the floor again. Flat 32, so he should go onto the third floor… He looked at the common room of the building. There was a help desk with no one tending to it, and a couch for visitors on the far end. The wall was decorated with some paintings that fit the colour scheme of the rest of the building so far, so that was pleasant. At least it doesn’t look like it was decorated blindly.

He entered the elevator, inhaling sharply as he pressed the correct floor button. Okay, elevator didn’t seem to make any odd noises… Maybe he didn’t have to be scared of this one. There was a huge emergency button above the buttons to the floors, so he wouldn’t have to worry about looking for it in the dark if the elevator stops suddenly. Before he knew it, the doors to the third floor were opening and he gladly walked out. Even if it seems fine, he’d rather take the stairs up and down every day.

There were only three flats on a single floor, so it wasn’t too difficult to find flat 32. He fiddled with his suitcase handle as he pressed the doorbell, waiting patiently for the door to open. He wondered if he’ll get his own keys straight away.

The door opened, revealing… holy shit. Ren’s breath hitched as he beheld the single most beautiful man he’s ever seen, boasting light brown hair tied into a ponytail and incredibly vibrant eyes that looked almost crimson. The man’s eyes lit up with recognition, noticing Ren’s suitcase.

“Oh, you’re the new roommate?” He asked with that smooth, silky voice. Hooooly shit, is this what love at first sight felt like? He somehow made pyjamas look good, convincing Ren that he has to be some sort of model. Either that or he’s just unfairly pretty.

“Uh, yes, that’d be me. Akechi, yes?” Ren recalled when he finally remembered how to speak. He dearly hoped Goro didn’t notice his staring, though the amused look in his eyes said otherwise. _Fuck._

“Mmhm, come in.” He held the door open and stepped aside so Ren could enter the apartment. Ren heard the door close behind him as he observed his surroundings, taking note of how neat and clean the apartment is. It had a few things strewn about that were likely Akechi’s, such as textbooks or an empty cup of coffee on the coffee table, but aside from that it was a little _too_ clean. Almost as if no one lives here.

“Your name is Amamiya, correct?” Akechi asked, gesturing for him to follow. Ren hummed in confirmation, following him into a short hallway until they stopped at a closed room. “Alright, this will be your bedroom. My room is the one at the end of this hall, so if you need me and you can’t find me in the living room, I’m probably either in there or I went out somewhere.”

Ren opened the door to the bedroom, noticing just how large it is. It was a bit smaller than his room when he lived in the attic at Café Leblanc, but still incredibly spacious. At least the person who lived here before him cleaned up well before they left, as there wasn’t even a speck of dust to be seen. Or was it Akechi who cleaned?

“I was worried that I’d be living with some creep, but you seem relatively nice,” Ren commented with a quiet laugh. Akechi smiled softly, leaning against the doorway of Ren’s room as he spoke.

“Who’s to say I’m not a creep? We just met, after all. I don’t think you should be so quick to trust people.”

Ren snorted, shaking his head. “We’ll see, but I don’t think there’s any reason not to trust you. After all, you’re wearing a Featherman shirt.”

“Ah.” Akechi’s cheeks flushed a bit as he seemed to realize he was indeed wearing a Featherman shirt, looking away from Ren. “I’m sorry, I was so caught up in studying that I forgot to change before you got here.”

“No worries, it looks good on you!” Ren reassured, chuckling to himself. He shrugged his backpack off and set it onto the floor, sighing heavily as he collapsed onto the bed.

Akechi coughed as he tried to catch his composure. “Um, you seem tired. I think I should leave you to get some rest, Amamiya.”

“Nah, I don’t plan on sleeping just yet. In fact, want me to make us some coffee? I used to work in a café, so I can make a pretty good cup,” he offered, grinning at Akechi.

“Coffee? I already had a cup, but…” Akechi trailed off, humming thoughtfully. “If you’re offering, why not? I don’t have any special equipment though, just a regular coffee machine.”

“Hehe, don’t worry.” Ren sat up and stretched his arms above his head, hearing his bones crack. Damn, talk about being a grandpa at nineteen… “I brought some of my favourite coffee beans from the café, so as long as you have a blender, I’ll be able to work my magic.”

Ren opened up his suitcase and took out one of the Costa Rican SHB bags, walking over to the kitchen with Akechi. “Alright, the blender and coffee machine are both over there. Do you want any help? You’re quite tired, after all.”

“No need, I’ll take care of this. I wouldn’t want to distract you from your studying,” Ren said, hearing Akechi thank him in response before leaving the kitchen. Ren opened the bag of coffee beans, pouring two table spoons into the blender and blending them on the pulse setting. He blended in short spurts, stopping every few seconds to shake the blender, rustling the grounds around to ensure they’re uniform. After a while, he poured it out into a sieve and separated the coarse grounds, which he re-blended.

After he got his desired consistency, he poured it all out into the coffee machine’s filter and added water, letting it drip out into the pot. A pleasant smell was already wafting through the kitchen, causing him to sigh happily as he waited. This was actually the first time he was trying this method out – he was so used to using the machines at Leblanc that he never tried this out, but it was certainly gonna taste better than the pre-ground stuff Akechi must’ve been using.

He poured it out into two cups, taking a tiny sip from his own to check the flavour. Mm, it’s surprisingly good. Not as good as the coffee he made at Leblanc, but it’s still a great batch. He brought it out into the living room, setting Goro’s cup down onto the coffee table before taking a seat beside him on the floor, as opposed to Goro’s position on the couch.

“Give it a taste test?” Ren prompted, looking up at him with a proud smile.

Goro hummed, finally looking away from his textbook to gently pick up the cup and take a sip. He closed his eyes and nodded appreciatively, a hint of a smile on his face. “This is really good, could you teach me how to make this later?”

Ren beamed brightly at Goro, feeling his heart skip a beat. The cute boy likes his coffee! Could this day get any better? “Of course, I’d love to teach you.”

He really hoped that he’ll be winning that bet with Ryuji.

It took about two days to get completely settled into his room, mostly because he kept procrastinating on decorating it. Right now though, it was looking just as homely as the attic, which pleased him immensely. All of the gifts from his friends were on display on his shelf, as well as a few of his favourite manga and novels. If he looked over at his desk, he’d see his laptop and pile of textbooks, accompanied by a cup that contained coffee a couple hours ago.

He still hasn’t thrown away that Risette poster, deciding to hang it on his wall instead. Her music slaps, so why not? He sighed at the thought of his friends, grabbing his phone to text the group chat. Where else is he gonna scream about the one person who’s been occupying his mind the most?

** THE OG DUMBASSES **

** Today (3:46 PM) **

**renren:** guys

 **renren:** uni didn’t even start yet and im already winning

 **alibaba:** :00 wdym

 **yusoupke:** Did something happen?

 **renren:** my roommate is SO PRETTY im dying here guys

 **renren** : I impressed him with my coffee the day I got here and

 **renren:** felt my soul leave my body when he wanted me to teach him how to make it

 **yujiiiii:** Fuck am I gonna have to buy you that figurine after all

 **renren:** depedns on how lucky I get with pretty boy

 **renren:** *depends

 **ann-dono:** WHAT DOES HE LOOK LIKE

 **renren:** an angel

 **ann-dono:** No but like actually though??

 **renren:** okok hes got light brown hair and its like, shorter than shoulder length

 **renren:** but long enough to tie back in a ponytail and he looks so good with the ponytail

 **renren:** and his eyes are STUNNING theyre like,,, brownish red,,,

 **alibaba:** omg

 **alibaba:** is our resident i-don’t-have-a-type boy… smitten?

 **ann-dono:** SDJFHSLJFH she’s got you there

 **renren:** shhhhhhhh

 **mamakoto:** I was wondering why my phone was blowing up…

 **mamakoto:** Sounds to me like you’ve got a crush, Ren.

 **renren:** SHHHHHHHHH

 **yujiiiii:** HAHAHAHAHAH EVEN MAKOTO AGREES

 **yusoupke:** What’s he like? I’m quite curious.

 **renren:** kinda like,,, polite and kind, a bit quiet and a lot studious

 **renren:** I heard him listening to jazz music tho so I,,, might be able to bond with him over that!!!

 **hawoooo:** Ren, here’s a tip when dealing with cute studious people

 **hawoooo:** If he tends to work for long hours, bring him food or drinks!!

 **mamakoto:** Can confirm that it’s effective.

 **mamakoto:** Thank you again for all those times you forced me to take breaks while studying, Haru.

 **hawoooo:** Glad to help, Mako-chan <333

 **renren:** big sis haru to the rescue

 **renren:** ty for the tip ill keep that in minddd

 **alibaba:** also ren

 **alibaba:** morgana says hi!!

 **alibaba:** Picture sent.

 **renren:** BLESS YOU AND BLESS HIS TOE BEANS

 **renren:** TELL HIM I MISS HIM EVERY DAY :(((

Ren grinned at the messages like an idiot, feeling a fond warmth in this chest. Maybe he’ll go visit them this weekend, he’s already missing them even if he hasn’t been gone for long. He forced himself to sit up and leave his room, looking left and right to see where Akechi could be. He spotted him curled up on the couch, watching something on TV that he couldn’t see from where he’s standing.

Seems like Akechi didn’t hear him leaving his room, as his attention was completely focused on the screen. He walked up to him and sat beside Akechi on the couch, causing him to look up in surprise.

“Oh, you’re up.”

“Been up for the past two hours decorating my room, it finally looks like a bedroom now,” he responded with audible relief. Akechi chuckled, patting Ren’s shoulder comfortingly.

“There, there. At least you got it done, right?” He stood up and stretched his arms out in front of him, groaning. Seems like he’s been sitting there for a while. “You hungry? I ordered pizza for today, I haven’t eaten some in a while.”

Ren’s face brightened up, looking up at Akechi as if he hung the stars in the sky. “Pizza? You’re an angel, I’ve been craving fast food these past few days.”

Goro chuckled, sitting back onto the couch and melting into it now that his tense muscles were stretched out. “Glad to see you approve. You okay with pepperoni? I wasn’t sure what you liked so I chose something relatively safe.”

“That’s perfect, thank you.”

The doorbell rang at that exact moment. Speak of the devil as he shall appear, much? Akechi grabbed the money he was keeping on the table and rushed over to the door. The interaction was relatively quiet, consisting of just impersonal small talk as well as the exchange itself. Ren focused on the TV screen while Akechi was away, noticing that he was watching one of the older Featherman episodes that was being aired again for the sake of newer fans.

Ren smiled to himself, bringing his knees up to his chest and wrapping his arms around them. He remembered watching this episode about two years ago, unable to get enough of the fast-paced action and eating up any moments between Red Hawk and Black Condor. He couldn’t help it, those two had a dynamic that he just can’t get enough of.

Akechi came back into the living room and set the pizza box between them on the couch so that they could both take slices. “Ah, I hope you don’t mind the show. I can change the channel if you want?”

“Nah, this is perfect. I love this episode,” Ren reassured, opening the pizza box and taking a slice. He redirected his attention to the screen, just in time to see it getting real intense. He leaned forward a bit, completely focused on the action scene unfolding in front of him. At least he was able to register the taste of the pizza despite this, making a mental note to order pizza from this place again, as they clearly knew what they were doing with their food.

By the time the episode ended, there was a little less than half of the pizza left. Ren looked over at Akechi, taking in the sight of the other boy. He looked incredibly relaxed and content right now, leaning back against the couch with half-lidded, slightly tired eyes. He couldn’t help but wonder how long Akechi’s been awake.

Has he been up late studying? That could very well be the case, he _did_ have his nose buried in a textbook by the time Ren went to bed last night. What was he studying, anyways? He just realized he never asked, which was probably a big mistake on Ren’s part. Oops.

“What are you studying? I just realized that I never asked.”

“Me? Oh, I’m working on an undergraduate degree for Law and Politics,” Akechi explained. “I’m in my second year now, so I’ve adjusted to the workload pretty well.”

“Woah, seriously? That’s what I’m starting this year!” Ren said excitedly. This is great, he might be able to get Akechi to help him.

“Huh, you are? In that case, I’m glad we’re roommates. You’d certainly benefit from knowing someone who’s gone through all of this already,” Akechi noted with a tiny smile. Holy crap, Ren didn’t even have to ask for help.

“Yes please! I’ll cook for you every day in exchange for your help, Akechi-sama!”

Akechi chuckled in response to Ren’s dramatic mannerisms, bringing his legs up onto the couch and criss-crossing them. “No need to go that far, I’d love to help you even if it’s for free. But… I wouldn’t be opposed to having your cooking sometime.”

Okay, now he has the urge to make the most impressive meal of all time. Ren grinned wide, resting his head on his knees as he gazed at Akechi. “Still, thank you so much. Having you here is a huge relief!”

“I’m glad to hear that, Amamiya.” The warmth in his smile felt like it was warming up Ren’s chest. God, maybe the others are right, he might be smitten…

University started off without a hitch about a week later. His classes weren’t too bad, the lecturers were all pretty good at explaining the given topics so he didn’t feel as lost as he was in high school. He had no clue what was up with his old teachers, but they were all terrible at teaching.

Akechi seemed to be working himself to the bone even more than before, though. It was a bit concerning, if Ren was honest. It wasn’t an uncommon sight to come back from the faculty and see him breaking his back over his desk, either writing something furiously or trying to hold his head up as he read from a book. Ren couldn’t help but wonder if he’ll be suffering that much next year too.

That’s why he decided to recreate Leblanc’s curry and coffee, after peeking into Akechi’s room to see him yawning aggressively at his desk. Does he ever take breaks? Well, Ren’s gonna make him take a break. The cooking process was quite relaxing for Ren too, after the long day he had. His mind felt a bit like mush right now, as he was trying incredibly hard to understand the concept that they’re currently going over in class.

The smell of spices filled the house slowly but steadily and Ren felt his heart sing. No matter how many times he makes the same recipe, he never gets tired of it. He’s done with both the coffee and curry within an hour and sets the table for the two of them, before going over to Akechi’s room.

“Akechiiii?” He calls, popping his head into the room. Akechi startles, turning around in his chair immediately.

“Ah, yes? Is something the matter?”

Ren smiled softly and entered the room, leaning on the wall. “You’ve been working so hard all day, you must be hungry. I made coffee and curry, so it’d be good for you to take a short break!”

“Coffee and curry together?” Akechi questioned curiously, tilting his head.

“You’d be surprised how well the flavours complement each other.”

“Huh… I’m intrigued.” He stood up from his chair, eyes widening as if he just realized something. “Ohh, is that what I’ve been smelling for the past hour or so? It smells delicious.”

Ren beamed, walking out of Akechi’s room. “It tastes even better than it smells, trust me.”

They both took a seat at the table, facing each other. Akechi said a quick thanks for the food before spooning some of it into his mouth, chewing slowly. Ren watched him as he hummed with delight, taking another bite. He likes it! He likes Ren’s cooking!

“You’re right, it _does_ taste amazing,” Akechi marveled, making Ren’s heart melt with that happy expression on his face. Ren ate slowly, paying more attention to Akechi than his food. If his food was bringing him this much joy, then he would gladly spend the rest of his life making him food.

Wait, what? That sounds incredibly domestic. But wait, domestic sounds nice… He sighed quietly, feeling his thoughts drift off into another world, one where he calls Akechi by his first name – or something like ‘my love’ or ‘honey’ – and feels strong arms wrap around him from behind as he works on baking something…

He snaps himself out of his thoughts suddenly, feeling his face burn. Not the time, he can fantasize later when he isn’t at risk of choking in front of his crush and embarrassing himself. He takes a slow sip from his coffee, hoping that it calms him down.

“Amamiya? Your face is quite red, are you feeling ill?”

Oh no. Ren screams internally while simultaneously trying to calm his cheeks down, shaking his head. “No, no, I’m okay. Don’t worry about me.”

Akechi frowns, not quite convinced. He reached over and pressed the back of his hand against Ren’s forehead, biting his lip. “You’re a little warm, I think you should go to bed early tonight just to be safe.”

Oh god. Akechi’s hand felt so soft and cool against his skin, he wished he could stay like this forever. He let his eyes flutter closed, making a small contented noise. “Will do, mom.”

Akechi chuckled, pulling his hand away. Ren barely stopped himself from whining, wanting his hand back more than anything. Instead, he forced himself to continue eating. Maybe he should take Akechi’s advice and get some rest, now that he thinks about it. His eyelids feel a bit heavy.

“I really hope you didn’t get yourself sick though, I’m not that great of a caretaker,” Akechi commented, taking a sip of his coffee.

“Don’t worry, I’m feeling alright. But if I am sick, you really won’t need to do much other than tuck me in and remind me to take my medicine,” he reassured with a chuckle. “I’m quite low maintenance and relatively good at taking care of myself, since I sleep all day and just eat takeout or leftovers.”

“That’s good, at least you’re not like me when I’m sick.” Akechi’s cheeks coloured a bit, sighing. “I don’t get sick often, but when I do, I become… clingy, to say the least. If you ever have to take care of me and find yourself forced into cuddling, I’m so so sorry in advance.”

Wait, that’s the cutest thing he’s ever heard. Ren couldn’t help grinning fondly behind his hand. “Awe, no need to apologize. That’s honestly adorable, I don’t think I’d be able to complain.”

“You’ll think otherwise when I get _you_ sick the next day,” Akechi retorted with a quiet laugh. Ren doesn’t think he’d mind, if he was being honest. If it means he gets cuddles, he couldn’t care less about getting sick.

It wasn’t too unusual to come back to a quiet apartment, but this was even quieter than usual. There wasn’t the sound of a pencil scribbling on paper, nor the soft jazz music that Akechi plays in the background while finishing up his tasks. He stepped into the living room, finding it to be empty. Maybe Akechi’s in his room? The door’s closed though, so maybe he shouldn’t intrude…

Ren entered his own room, tossing his bag onto the floor and sighing heavily. He quickly changed into pyjamas, forcing himself to hang his clothes up in his closet instead of tossing them onto his chair. He has a terrible habit of collecting clothes on a chair and only remembering to put them back in his closet like once a month. Maybe he shouldn’t do that when he’s trying to impress a cute roommate, though.

Speaking of roommate… Ren decided to go check if he’s okay anyways. He made his way to Akechi’s room and knocked on the door first. He waited for about ten seconds and got no response, so he quietly opened the door and took a peek inside.

He realized what was going on when he saw Akechi with his head buried in his arms on the desk, his back rising and falling steadily with each breath. He fell asleep while working, huh? Ren knew that feeling all too well. He entered the room as silently as possible, noticing just how peaceful Akechi looks like this. His entire body looked like it had no lingering tension in it whatsoever when he was asleep, which made Ren incredibly happy for some reason. At least he’s relaxed in his sleep.

Ren looked around Akechi’s bedroom, looking for a blanket light enough to cover him with. There didn’t seem to be any, just the comforter on the bed that seems a bit too heavy for someone who’s sleeping on a chair. Hmm…

He decided to use one of his own, since he didn’t want to make a ruckus while searching for one in Akechi’s room. He silently made his way out and went into his room, grabbing his favourite blanket off of his bed. It’s been about a year since he bought it and it was honestly an incredibly worthwhile purchase. Whenever he needed some sort of comfort, he’d immediately reach for the blanket because of how soft and warm it is. It made him feel safe when he cocooned himself inside of it, so it’s become a very frequently used item.

During the walk back to Akechi’s room, he realized just how odd this is. Not the situation itself, but the fact that of all the blankets he had, he chose to give Akechi the one he valued the most. Well, it’s not like he’s not gonna get it back, but… The thought of sharing one of his most important possessions with Akechi made his chest feel warm, even if the other didn’t know that it was important to him.

Ren popped back into the room and gently placed the blanket over Akechi’s shoulders, being careful not to wake him up since he wasn’t certain how heavily the other slept. He didn’t move an inch, thankfully. Ren stayed where he was for a moment, observing how Akechi’s eyelashes brushed his cheeks delicately and how his cheek was softly being squished by his own arm. He looked… incredibly endearing like this.

His breath hitched when Akechi stirred a bit, but he didn’t open his eyes. All he did was gather the blanket tighter around him with a tiny smile, looking incredibly content with the comforting weight of it even though he was fast asleep. Oh no, he’s _adorable_. Ren grinned fondly at the sight of Akechi clinging onto his blanket, feeling his heart clench in the best possible way.

Ren quietly left the room and closed the door behind him, letting Akechi get the sleep he deserved.

“Ren, are you awake?”

He immediately jumped out of bed and opened the door to his room to see Akechi standing in front of him, looking a bit nervous. “Yeah, did you need something?”

“Ah, well, yes. First… thank you for lending me your blanket yesterday, I must’ve exhausted myself a bit more than expected. It was really comfortable,” Akechi admitted, which made Ren grin cheerfully.

“No problem! I didn’t want to wake you up by looking for one of your blankets, so I’m glad you felt comfortable with mine.”

The other boy chuckled, nodding to himself. “I thought as much, the gesture is appreciated. Now, uh. Second of all, one of my classmates gave me two tickets to the Sunshine Aquarium in Ikebukuro for the weekend, but it was a bit awkward because I didn’t know who to invite. I was… I was wondering if you’d be interested?” Akechi asked hesitantly.

Ren’s face brightened up immediately, nodding frantically. “Of course, I haven’t been to an aquarium in ages! The tickets are for today, right? Let’s go right now.”

“Really?” Akechi seemed relieved by Ren’s quick agreement. “Let’s start getting ready then and go while the sun’s still up. In any case, thank you!”

Akechi walked off back to his room, leaving Ren to grin excitedly. He couldn’t tell if he was more excited for the aquarium or that he’s going out with Akechi, but both were really good reasons to be excited, so he didn’t question it. Wait… Oh no, is he going to have to overthink his outfit choices again? But Akechi’s already seen him in pyjamas. But could he really pass up a chance to look good in front of him? He knew which side of the argument he’d rather listen to.

And that’s how he found himself staring at two different outfit choices and having a crisis. He could go the cool, boyish route with the graphic tee under the flannel, but the business-casual look of the button-up was incredibly appealing. Especially if he rolls up the sleeves to his elbows. At least he had the pants situation sorted out, he always reached for his favourite black skinny jeans if he wanted his legs to look good.

Would the button-up be too dressy? They _are_ going to an aquarium, after all, not a dinner date. But on the other hand, is a graphic tee too informal? He could make himself look like a high schooler again, which is probably not the vibe he should go for. Ugh…

Wait. He looked back into his closet and fished out a plain white shirt that he completely forgot about. Okay, now we’re getting somewhere. If he swaps the graphic tee out for this, tucks it into the skinny jeans, and rolls the sleeves of the flannel up to his elbows, then he won’t need to overthink this any further. Holy shit, he figured it out!

He looked in the mirror when he finished dressing himself, nodding approvingly. Yep, he made the right call with this. The red and black of the flannel looked better with some white underneath it, and who could forget the form-fitting jeans? His legs looked great in these and he wasn’t afraid to admit it.

Shoving both his phone and keys into his pockets, he walked out of his room and waited for Akechi at the front door. The other came out a few minutes later, dressed in a beige sweater with the collar of a white button-up peeking out, as well as black straight-leg trousers that made his legs look as if they go on for days. Yep, he really does look good in everything. So much so that Ren’s heart wants out of his chest.

“Ready to go?” Akechi asked, checking the time on his phone before looking up at Ren. He obviously tried to be discreet, but Ren noticed him checking him out with interest, gaze lingering on his arms. Ohhh? Suddenly, spending long hours at the gym felt incredibly worth it. Ren grinned at Akechi, opening the door for him.

“Of course, after you.”

Akechi shot him a grateful smile before walking out the door, going to call the elevator. Ren locked the door behind him and joined him in the elevator, pressing the button to the ground floor and distracting himself with thoughts of the aquarium to avoid thinking about potentially getting stuck in this cramped thing.

Thankfully, nothing like that happened. They made it to the train station with no problems whatsoever, even managing to grab a seat on their way to Ikebukuro. A lot of the ride was spent in comfortable silence, but every so often they talked about any topic that came to mind. Their talk continued as they got off the train and followed directions to their location, though they couldn’t help looking at some stores on the way.

It was a relatively lengthy trip to Sunshine City from the station, so they decided to spend the time productively by playing a game of sorts. They’d point out any person they pass by and try to imagine what their life is like, just based off of their appearance. It got more and more outlandish the longer they went at it, considering how at one point they theorized that some woman they saw could be a government spy.

When they finally made it to the mall, they found out that they had to take an elevator to the top-most floor, as that was where the aquarium was located. Apparently it consisted of multiple floors, which was incredibly exciting! He was really curious about how many species they held here, if the aquarium was _this_ large.

They entered the aquarium grounds and were met with an outdoorsy area containing palm trees and grassy spots, which was quite unusual when you think about the fact that they’re inside a skyscraper. They fawned over the penguins in an overhead tank that made it look like they’re flying, then got distracted by some otters and sea lions, both of which were incredibly adorable.

The two found very quickly that the aquarium was incredibly reminiscent of a maze and got a bit lost, wandering around before coming across a hallway consisting of many large tanks of coral reef, fish and other species. Ren was honestly in awe at it all, as he hasn’t been to an aquarium in quite a while. He could barely contain his childish excitement, making sure to take a good look at each and every tank.

Akechi gasped suddenly, grabbing Ren’s arm and pulling him over to stand in the jellyfish tunnel. Ren couldn’t describe how pretty the sight was, as he was only able to stare at the swimming jellyfish and admire them. He had half the mind to look over and see Akechi’s reaction, which didn’t disappoint. He was wide-eyed and his mouth was slightly ajar, which meant that he probably wasn’t aware of the tiny, awestruck noise he made. Ren’s fond grin was entirely involuntary.

“So pretty…”

“Mmhm, I’ve never been this close to jellyfish. They’re so beautiful,” Akechi responded so joyfully that it made Ren’s heart leap.

“Oh, I didn’t mean the jellyfish,” Ren clarified, causing Akechi to look at him curiously. “I meant you.”

Akechi blinked twice before it fully registered. Ren knew Akechi realized what he was trying to say when his cheeks went up in flames, looking away as he tried to come up with an intelligent response, though it was a bit hard to do that when he was stumbling over his words.

“Ah, um- wow. That was smooth,” Akechi said, for lack of a better response. Ren laughed quietly, pulling him over out of the tunnel and to a dome-shaped tank containing another variety of jellyfish.

“Not sorry about that, your reaction was precious. I won’t tease you anymore, though. Aren’t these so gorgeous?”

Akechi whispered a small ‘woah’ as they approached the tank, observing the jellyfish attentively. “I recognize this type, these are called sea nettle jellyfish. I’ve always wanted to see these little guys swim, it’s so fascinating!”

“Well, they’re not that little,” Ren stated with a muffled snort. “But you’re right, I could honestly look at them for hours and never get tired…”

“They’re a sight for sore eyes, though the same could apply to you. Even more so, in my opinion,” Akechi said nonchalantly, as if he didn’t just make Ren’s heart stop. Did Akechi just say he’s pleasant to look at? Holy shit. _Holy shit._ He never knew being compared to an aquatic creature could feel so romantic. Wait, _he’s flirting back?!_

“Ah- thank you,” Ren managed while trying to hide his red cheeks. The other boy simply laughed, grabbing his hand and pulling him further along, up the stairs and onto the second floor. They spent quite a while up here, getting stuck multiple times as they cooed over the frogs and turtles. Ren could barely get himself away from the axolotls because one of them yawned and it was absolutely adorable. Not like he could help it, the way their tiny mouths gape as they yawn is so precious!

They made it out of there after they spent a total of an hour and a half of wandering around, leaning onto a wall as they readjusted their eyes to sunlight.

“That was so fun, thank you for inviting me out today, Akechi!”

He looked over at Ren and grinned softly, eyes crinkling a bit. “Did you enjoy the date?”

“Da… Date? This was a date?” Ren stammered, feeling way more flustered than he wanted to be. Was he supposed to know that? Is he the densest person on earth?

“I’m surprised you didn’t notice earlier, considering there are usually lots of couples at aquariums,” Akechi said, amusement evident in his tone. “This can be a date, if you want it to be.”

It took him a moment to gather enough brain cells to come up with a response that isn’t a noise. “Yes please, I’d love for this to be a date!”

“Good,” Akechi said with a chuckle. “I was getting a little nervous over here, thinking you wouldn’t think the same.”

“I… I’ve had a thing for you since the first time I laid eyes on you,” Ren mumbled bashfully, twisting a strand of hair between his fingers. Oh god, his heart was pounding when he admitted it.

He saw Akechi smile brightly with cheeks a little flushed. “Really? Same here, if I’m being honest. Seems like my type is kind, curly-haired boys who make great coffee.”

Ren bit his lip to try and smother the embarrassing grin on his face. He could hardly believe this is happening, briefly wondering if he might be dreaming. He hesitantly reached over and intertwined Akechi’s fingers with his own.

“Call me Ren?”

“Only if you call me Goro,” the other responded with bright, joyful eyes.

Before they knew it, they were on their way home, hand in hand. The trip home was spent discussing their initial impressions of each other and flirting obnoxiously, but Ren wouldn’t have it any other way. And if they fell asleep in each other’s arms that night, with Ren’s head buried in Goro’s chest to hear the soothing sound of his steady heartbeat? Well, that was nobody’s business but theirs.

**Author's Note:**

> THE OG DUMBASSES  
> Today (7:24 AM)
> 
> renren: Picture sent.  
> alibaba: HOLY SHIT  
> ann-dono: OH MY GOD THEYRE CUDDLING!!!!  
> hawoooo: Congrats Ren!!  
> yusoupke: I have not seen you so happy in a while, congratulations!  
> mamakoto: Congratulations! You two might be even cuter than Haru and me, if I’m honest.  
> yujiiiii: HOLY FUCK BRO CONGRATS  
> yujiiiii: wait  
> renren: so do you have 8400 yen to spare for red hawk uwu  
> yujiiiii: FUCK  
> alibaba: LMAOOOOOOO  
> yujiiiii: MY POOR WALLET  
> mamakoto: It will be missed.  
> ann-dono: May it rest in peace  
> yujiiiii: ???????


End file.
